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21st November 2022

Land and new homes: “Wake up and get involved”

Estate agents looking for growth are being urged to stop doom-scrolling and focus on a single key market: land and new homes.

“Right now, agents will be heading into the winter slowdown while scanning the news for the latest sales or lettings scare story. But the government has yet again committed to housebuilding – 300,000 properties per year – and agents need to wake up and get involved,” says Land & New Homes Network’s MD, Kevin Ellis.

A positive outlook

Official figures show that the UK’s developers and house builders are already building more than 100,000 properties per year than they were a decade ago. And critically, they need land to help fuel further expansion, as well as sales expertise to secure the returns they’re looking for. These are two areas where agents can deliver.

“At the most elemental level, all that any agent needs to do is to spot a land opportunity in their area. It could be a housing site that they know a landowner looking to sell, or even a large garden that is ripe for development.

“This lead could be ideal for one of our contacts and the agent would get a cut of any subsequent resale fees. It would also give the agent credibility and, with our help, they could open their own land and new homes department overnight. It really is that simple,” explains Ellis.

Getting involved

To facilitate this new revenue stream, the Land & New Homes Network offers a range of options, starting with Associate Membership – the simplest and quickest route to market. These members are then either able to exploit the bigger rewards that come with nurturing and then selling a development, or they can simply hand over land leads as and when they become apparent.

“Our national association has been a driving force in this market for many years and we know what works and what members need to succeed,” says Ellis. “Associate Members are given access to the Land & New Homes Network’s digital hub, which contains the templates and documents that will help them to win new business. They can also attend monthly board meetings for advice, insight and networking with other members, as well as key architects and planning consultants.”

Fast track membership

Associate Members can begin trading in land and new homes straightaway, with no need to increase their in-house team and no requirement for major investment. And as a result, they can also become the go-to agent for land and new homes in their area, and outmanoeuvre their competitors at a stroke.

“Why wouldn’t you get involved?” says Ellis. “The market is there, the ambition is there and, as our members have been finding over the past few years, thousands of new developments are coming on-stream. It’s staggering that most agents haven’t grasped this situation – after all, who else but an estate agent is better placed to sell these properties?”